Typical medical retrieval devices have baskets that are constructed by joining multiple legs together at the proximal end of the basket (i.e., the end of the basket closest to the operator) and at a distal end of the basket (i.e., the end of the basket furthest to the operator) such that a “cage” is formed. At the distal end of the basket, the individual legs are typically joined by soldering, adhesives, etc., such that material (e.g., a stone) can be captured in the basket and remain captured until the basket is removed from the body. A typical basket is introduced into a body tract via an endoscope or catheter and maneuvered around the material until the material enters the basket. If it is necessary to reduce the size of the material, the material is then fragmented, typically by applying tension to the basket wires surrounding the material until sufficient force is applied directly to the material by the basket wires to cause the material to break apart.
Under certain circumstances, however, it is desirable to release the material from the basket before removal of the retrieval device from the body. For example, a stone may become trapped within the basket of the retrieval device (e.g., due to the large size of the stone) and attempts to remove the retrieval device with the stone may traumatize the lining of the body tract. In addition, failure of the medical retrieval device or its components may occur. For example, failure of the actuating mechanism that operates the movement of the basket relative to the sheath of the device may impede the ability of the device to crush the stone, or the basket wires may become dissociated from the guide wire to which they are attached. In those circumstances, the inability to remove the device from the patient may require additional, more invasive, and potentially life-threatening surgical procedures in order to disengage the stone from the basket and to remove the basket from the body tract.